That Damn Cat
by ClassyRainbowAristocrat
Summary: Eridan Ampora needs a friend to comfort him when life is tough. He adopts a cat named Sol, hoping to lighten up his life and has it get turned upside down instead. Rated T for language and animal abuse :(
1. Chapter 1

Eridan stared at the cats the shelter had rounded up, eyes shifting from one cat to another in an indecisive manner. Oh, he wanted to take them all home! That chubby kitty over there was just the happiest of the bunch, and happily purred just from one single stroke on her head. That kitten over there is so playful and rubs up against any passerby. Eridan looked over to one of the shelter volunteers. "Oh, I don't know-w w-which one I w-want." He bit his lip, blushing a bit by his stutter. The volunteer simply smiled. "Well I can leave for a few minutes and you just roam around and see which one clicks best with you, sir!" She headed for the door, giving one last glance at Eridan. "Don't be too shy, now!" At that, she left the man alone with about ten or so cats.  
With a deep breath, Eridan mustered up all the confidence he could possibly contain, and expelled all his worries with an exhale. Moving a piece of his blonde hair, he looked about, every cat seemed uninterested in him, but he decided he had to approach them to get acknowledgement? Fuck, he didn't know anything about cats. But they damn sure were adorable. He approached the kitten he noticed earlier, her wide, green eyes welcoming the man's approach. He reached out to pet her, and she immediately began to rub against his hand. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest damn thing..." he took a moment to glance at her collar, "Nepeta." Eridan giggled. At that moment, Nepeta took a snap at his ringed fingers, pain shooting up through his thin digits. He whimpered, looking at the cat, eyes begging for explanation. "I'm not taking you home, then, brat." Eridan pouted, Nepeta hissed in return, though her eyes made her still seem rather playful. A rather hefty cat, approached the two, seeming to respond to the hiss. It appeared rather distinguished, long, black fur making it look kind of like a mop. It's blue eyes pierced Eridan, a hiss escaping it, seemingly in defense of Nepeta. As cute as the scene would have been under any other circumstance, Eridan's heart sunk slightly. What a dreadful start. At least that narrowed down the list.  
But within a matter of moments, no matter how nice and passive the man tried to appear, the cats either completely ignored him or hissed and scratched. His hands were all bitten and scratched up. Eridan regretted ever coming to look for any pet. Even animals hated him. He pressed himself against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest, looking rather glum. "I just w-wanted a friend. Is that so much to ask?" The writer said lowly to himself, wondering where that damn volunteer lady went and when she'd come back. It seemed all intents of getting a companion was forgotten, and Eridan saw it as another failed attempt for some simple comfort every human being needs.

You are Sol. You connect that name with yourself as you often hear it said by the large hairless cats whenever they dare to get close to your cage. If you are in a good mood, you let them take you out and pet you while they coo your name and you purr, although, if you are in a bad mood, you hiss and scratch at the things intruding your space as they try and calm you by mewling your name. You don't know if you hate these large cats or if you love them. The alpha cat that you were with before you were taken to this cold, cramped living space of smelly cats, was rather terrifying. One day you got food, the next you were ruthlessly kicked and forced to dodge random objects flying your way. These cats seem nicer, but you can't help but sometimes feel anger at their doting on you like a fresh kitten. This morning you were in a rather good mood, so you didn't care when the large cats with clawless paws pulled you out of your cage and placed you into a roomful of other cats your size. Most of them you knew, as they shared the same area of this metal house. You immediately approach a stunning foxy cat, red fur like fire and a calm, blank stare. Aradia. You mewl at each other for a bit, bathe each other and cuddle. Even an antisocial tom like you can't help but love to be near this lovely cat. Although, your reunion is cut short by the doors opening and the strange babble of the large cats. Aradia told you they were called humans, as untold sources informed her. So okay, cool. So they were humans.  
You try not to look too interested in the...Human... that was currently smiling at Nepeta. And instead, turn your head slightly and peer out of the corners of your mismatched eyes. Eventually, you lost interest and went back to licking at your slick, black coat, yawning here and there. It wasn't until you sensed disdain that you looked up, ears pricked and turning in the direction of sniffles. It was the human, blonde hair veiling their face with a vibrant purple along the front of its long fur. The aura of loneliness attract you to them, and you find yourself sitting to his right, clicking your teeth to get his attention. He looks at you with reddened eyes, some weird type of substance dripping from them. You are perplexed by the appearance, but it does not deter you from the sudden urge to cheer the human up. You rub against him, a loud purr vibrating in your throat. He pets you appreciatively, and you let him. "Why hello there... Sol." You look up at him at your name being said, the purr never once stopping. "What gorgeous eyes." You have no idea what the hell they're saying, but you detect a hint of praise in their tone. You are Sol. And you have made a new and very, very weird friend.

The volunteer returned, grinning as she saw Eridan petting a cat, though when she realized which one, she frowned. She put a smile back on her face, after clearing her throat she asked "Have you decided who you want?"  
"W-why yes, this sw-weetheart ower here." He pointed at the purring motorboat cat, purring. Confirming her fears, Eridan had, indeed, found which one. And that, was Sol. Now, Sol was not a bad cat, by any stretch, but he could be a bit... testy... "Are you sure you don't want any others? We have cats that are much more... sweet."  
"No, no, I insist that this is the one."  
Sighing, she nodded in defeat.  
"Very well, let's go get all the paperwork then ."


	2. Chapter 2

You find yourself in a very bad mood. You are swaying this way and that in a small box, you mewl a few times, hoping the human would hear and let you out of that more-than-preferred cramped space that you have been coaxed into. A large bump makes you hiss, your metal box jumping up and making you hit the ceiling. "Owwwww." You meow out lowly, in return you hear the soothing assuring from the human. "Just a little longer, kitty, don't worry." You swallow hard, this unwanted change coming on just a little too fast for your liking. You already miss Aradia.

The cooing was not in vain, as you soon find your the car lurching to a stop, your metal cage bumping with one final sway. Your thing legs shake uneasily from the constant uneven rocking suddenly stopping, you're actually kind of pissed it stopped so abruptly, as you know you will not be able to recover so quickly. You have convinced yourself it is that human's fault for your sickness, and the next time he touches you, he'll have another pretty scratch to match those golden rings. But he doesn't just pull you out of that accursed box. He carries you up stairs, opens a door to his den, you guess. It's a bit scary and the scents are all new and suddenly your box is your best friend, as it is the only thing you can have your scent on and consider your territory. Scratch that. It's terrifying.

"It's okay, Sol, you can come out." He cooed in a honey sweet voice, which you hate to admit it, but actually sounds really comforting to you. Meekly, you poke your head out, sniff about at your new surroundings. A few things remind you of your old Alpha cat- erm, human. A flashing box of lights, a giant bed/claw sharpener, but the box of water was new, and despite your fear, you let your curiosity get the better of you. Without a second thought you jump up on a desk, knocking over a few things as you box was made of invisible walls, but felt quite solid when you brushed your paw to it. Within it were objects that brought an instincual pang of hunger to you. You wanted to eat every last one of those creatures, but the dumb box protected them. One day you would find out how to get them, though. Every. Last. One.

Bored with the invisibox, you jump down, knocking over even more things as you do so, not that you cared, though. You sniff about once more, it all smelled like the human. No other cat. No Dog. Just human. With that, you feel a bit better, but not by much. You jump on the wooden block in front of the bed/ claw sharpener, idly sniffing at a round object, much like the invisibox, but no top. Still curious, you poke your paw into it. Big mistake. It's cold and you immediately pull your paw back, shaking it spasmodically. You huff at it as it has done personal harm to you, turn your back to it, and jump back down to the grou- oh shit! Your paw clung to the soft, thin cloth laid on the wooden block, pulling the object of water down on you. The water makes you release a startled cry before you retreat to your box, soaking wet. You decide its best to sleep in there for the night.

Eridan watched the cat sniff about, the thin, sleek figure sticking to the back of his mind. He was a little uncomfortable when Sol jumped on his art desk, a passion he takes pride in as much as his writing, but did nothing to remove the cat. Sol looked mesmerized by the fish tank. Eri stifled a chuckle, watching the pure perplexity in the blue and brown eyes when his paw met the glass, a glint of mischievety in them. Eventually, he jumped down again, indifferent to the paintbrushes that touched the ground with him. Lucky for Eridan, the brushes had been clean.

Next, Sol went for the coffee table, covered with a soft, purple cloth and a cup of water. He watched the entire hectic scene unfold before him and rather than tending to the water on the carpet or the claw-punctured cloth, he peeked his head at the kitty carrier the shelter had given him. "Sol?" He called out softly to the curled up, and most likely, very mad, kitty. Two mismatched eyes glowed in the dark of the carrier, electric blue and a brown so bright it seemed almost red. It was clear he wouldn't come out for a while. With a sigh of resignation, Eridan slowly lifted up the carrier, bringing it to his bedroom. He left the carrier door open, naturally, and climbed into his own bed, pulling the heavy comforter over himself. His father bought it for him, as a somewhat spiteful goodbye gift when Eridan had said with equal spite, how he would miss home. But he was in no mood to think about his father, or his shithead brother, who still dropped by unwanted, the creep. Eridan dozed off, one final thought through ran through his mind before, though. _Get cat food._

Its dawn and you finally decide its safe to come out now. You look up at the purple sheets and immediately jump up, using your claws to mountain climb your way up to the rest block. You are rather hungry, and need to relieve yourself. You decide to take care of this problem in one smooth plan. You use the pillow next to the human, since it seemed he didn't use that one anyways, when you are done, you paw at his face. You meow loudly, hoping to awaken them. After what seemed like forever, their blue eyes slowly open, the inhale deeply, trying to release the fatigue, before confusedly inhaling through his nose again, this time smelling for something. He sat up and reached for thick, black circle thingies and put them on his face before looking at the pillow beside him. You look up at him proudly, as you vanquished the pillow he disliked. He just stares at you, clearly wanting to thank you.

"Ohhhh god." Eridan groaned out as he looked at the mess on his other pillow. Stupid! How could he forget cats needed litter boxes? Sol meowed again, looking up at you like he wanted something. Right. Food. After gagging to death from cleaning up Sol's accident, you throw the pillow out. No way in hell would you use that again. At least it wasn't your good pillow. Eridan gave sol an affectionate pet, which he pressed into a bit, clearly still begging for food. "Hang tight, Sol, Daddy'll get some food, until then you'll just hawe to eat some treatsie." Eridan chimed. Ugh, he hadn't even gotten dressed or done his hair, but he kind of expected he would have to give up time and make room for his new companion. Eridan walked out of his room, and he follows close behind, meowing all the way. Cute little shit. The blonde dug into his fridge and pull out a fresh can of tunafish. He opened it, pulling out two fancy china bowls which he managed to haggle a woman at a flea market for half price. He placed it on the bar his apartment had, sitting comfortably in a stool. He split the treat with Sol, guiltlessly breaking his diet, but humans need treats too.

He idly watched Sol eat his meaty chunks, who only looked up to stare appreciatively at Eridan when he had eaten his fill of tuna. Eridan smiled, stroking at the animal. "Daddy has to go put his face on, now." Eridan giggled, already taking a fondness to talking to someone, even if that someone couldn't talk back, he felt like they talked with their eyes. After an hour or so of picking out a presentable outfit, ironing it, putting it on, frowning at it, picking another, ironing _that_, putting it on, changing mind, then re-ironing the first before finally putting it on with a satisfied huff., Eridan moved to the bathroom to style his wavy hair. Another hour was spent. When Eridan got his keys and headed for the door, Sol was finishing off the tuna juice the blonde had left in his bowl be accident. Ah, well, let him enjoy his treat, spoiled boy! "I'll be back." He called out, locking the door firmly behind him.

All was calm until you saw it. The mouse. It ran across the counter, ignoring you and lapping at the bowl. Your ears bent back in reproach at the thing that dared so much as sniff in your food. Another creature that made you instinctively want to eat it. You lifted your paw to bat at it, but that only succeeded in scaring it into running for the other counter top. You bat anyways, only managing to send the bowl flying, a loud crack as it hit the tile floor below. You cared not for the bowl, as the rodent was still in catching limits. You pounce for it, knocking off anything in your way, breaking anything that hit the ground. When you caught the mouse, you felt rather prideful. You would present it to the alpha human, and they would be most honored that you hunted such disgusting vermin. Not that you really cared how they felt, you just wanted to show off. You spent the rest of your day curled up on the couch with your prize, simply chilling.

At first, Eridan thought he had been robbed. That someone had broken into his house and ransacked it. Broken glass littered the kitchen floor, when Eridan closely inspected he wailed. "MY TEAPOT! MY CHINA!" He put his hands to his head, as if to calm himself. "MY KITCHEN!" His breaths were shaky, and somewhat melodramatic, that was when Sol strut over to him, dead mouse in his mouth, he dropped it and lifted his chin proudly as he showed his catch to Eridan. "DID YOU DO THIS?" Eridan hissed, before realizing he had just yelled at a cat. A cat that looked a little frightened when the yelling directed at him. Sol looked at all the broken glass, realizing what he had caused, though no guilt registered on his face, more like increased in smugness. His eyes seemed to say _Yeah, look at that big hassle I went through to get this mouse, aren't I the best? _With a sigh, Eridan picked up the cat, which growled in response. Surprised by the reaction, Eridan dropped the cat, which picked up the mouse and glared at the blonde man. Sol disappeared down the hall, no doubt taking his new prize to his room.

Eridan sucked it up, first he would unload, then clean up the mess. When he had set up the catbox and food/water bowls, he smiled. He still had plenty of time to clean before-

_Knock knock._

"Oh, fuck meee." Eridan whined.

Speak of the motherfucking devil, it was his father, as expected. But when Eridan opened the door, not one hated Ampora was revealed, but two. His father looked rather formal, his usual stern expression, while Cronus still seemed preocupied with looking at his hair in the hand mirror and picking his teeth. "Eridan." His father said, lifting his chin just a tad more. "Father." Eridan replied cooly. "Hey chief! You're getting handsome!" Cronus chuckled, making his father roll his own eyes. What a failure. Not like Eridan. No. He was going to do what he wanted and succeed, he would show his father he could make him proud.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to invite us in, Eridan?"

Eri flinched at the way his father icily said his name. More importantly, though, there was a shitstorm mess in his kitchen that needed to be tended to. "Ummm... Yes, just one moment please."

"Of course, never ready when others are, you got that from your mother, I see." his father commented rudely, knowing the other dared not snap at the harsh words. Eridan shut his door again, rushing to the kitchen and sweeping up as much of the glass he could in a pile, scooping it in his trash, earning a few cuts in the process. He dashed back for the door, opening it a tad too eagerly before remembering who exactly was behind it. "Come on in, sirs." Eridan grumbled. Every fuckin time they came over all hell broke loose. His father sneezed. He sneezed twice. Thrice.

"Eridan, did you get an animal? You- ACHOO- know I'm allergic." his father hissed. Eridan bit his lip, if father found out, he could say bye-bye to life of independence. "No sir, w-why do you ask?" his father's eyes narrowed.

"I told you not to stutter in my prescence, unless you want me to cut my fund for your art school and have you pave the hard way through your silly little dead end dream you chase."

"Sorry sir, it's w-won't- fuck"

"_Language."_

"My apologies, Father."

"That's more like it." He sneezed again.

Eridan slowly backed away, mumbling something about charging his phone as he crept for his room. He peered about and saw Sol comfortably napping on Eridan's bed, with a sigh of relief, he closed his door to ensure the cat didn't wander out during Daddy's "little visit".

"How are your studies coming along?" He asked his youngest son sternly, smacking Cronus nonchalantly for just being an idiot. "W-w-" his father shot him a piercing glare. The blonde gulped. "Well, I've decided to major in paintin' as sculptin' is too difficult an' I think the brush is my true callin'."

"You sound like an illeterate bum. Stop being lazy and properly pronounce things, Eridan Ampora, act like an Ampora."

"Sorry, sir."

"Quit apologizing. Say 'okay sir'"

"Okay sir." Eridan replied dauntingly.

"Good."

Eridan was grateful when they left. At least Cronus wasn't too bad when father was with him, but the parent really as too harsh sometimes. He had narrowly ecaped the threat of losing his main source of affording art school. _Again. _Family visits always left the youngest Ampora completely drained and exhausted. He crawled into bed and cried himself to sleep.

Sol purred next to him the entire time.


	3. Chapter 3

"Haha, you got a cat? That suits you." Eridan rolled his eyes at the giggling voice on other side of the phone. "No Fef, let me finish, this is the cat from hell. Satan's cat. W-well, only half of the time. The other half he is an absolute lowe bug." Another chuckle. "What makes you say he's 'Satan's Cat'?" she scoffed playfully.

"First of all, he soiled my good pillow-w."

"M-hmm."

"Then he broke my good china."

"Oh dear!"

"And he killed a mouse and showed it to me like he was proud!"

"Unheard of!"

"Oh, hush it Fef, I don't need your sarcasm." The Aquarius smiled despite this, he loved every minute of talking with Feferi. "Hmmm, sounds to me like you need to train him, how old is he?"

"Let me check his paperwork... Um, here it is... Sol is 1 year old."

"Awwww! That is soooo cute! Let me come over, I wanna see the little guy in person!"

"I don't think that will be a good idea-"

"Nonsense! I get off of work in 5 minutes, so I'll be over soon!"

"No Fef, w-wai-"

_Click._

Eridan sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He had yet to clean his house. It had been one week of having Sol in the house. It gave him enough time to see two very different sides of the cat. One day, Sol would purr and lick and meow whilst Eridan worked on one of his art projects. Then there were _other _days. Days of hissing, territorial, havoc wreaking cat. Eridan was at his wits end when he woke up just this morning to ruined vintage curtains and chewed up paintbrushes. The blonde trudged to his couch, but immediately jumped away when claws reached from under it and latched onto his ankle. Sol growled, Eridan guessed the couch belonged to Sol for today.

Eridan decided to have another look at the files the shelter provided, considering he had no classes to attend today, might as well learn something still. The file contained the most detail one could ever compile over a simple cat.

**MEDICAL HISTORY**

Boooring.

**SHELTER TREATMENT**

Yaaawn.

**RECORDED BEHAVIOR AND PAST OWNER INFORMATION**

Hello. What's this?

**RECORDED BEHAVIOR AND PAST OWNER INFORMATION**

**_Sol Captor (surname borrowed from previous owner) is an american shorthair that seems to have a large list of things that can trigger him and lead to extreme aggression_**-

"Knock Knock~" Sang out a cheery voice, easily recognized as Feferi's. With a sigh, Eridan put the documents down and called out "It's open." His heart pounded a bit as he heard the knob's metallic click from being turned. The door creaked, and was shut quietly before Feferi was spotted, excitedly bouncing up and down. "Eri, Eri, Eri, EEEEERIIII!" She shouted out, practically leaping into the man's thin arms. "Good to see you, too, Fef." He chuckled softly, running his fingers fondly through the Biologist's long, dark brown hair. She smelled sweet, as always, it had been quite some time since the last he had seen her, but he remembered the distinct scent the lovely woman gave off.

"How have you been?" Feferi inquired, grinning widely as she stared up at Eridan's face, taking in every detail she could. He hadn't changed a bit. He returned her smile, though less enthusiastic, "I'we been w-well." He blushed yet again in embarrassment.

Feferi rolled her eyes. "Come oooon, Eri, there's no need to be goin' an' gettin' embarrassed about talking w-with a w-wawy stutter!" She mimicked his way of speech, earning a wider smile from the man. "W-well, I w-wish daddy- erm, some people w-would understand that."

Feferi overlooked the awkward covering of the mention of a certain meany-faced parent, and instead, began to look about. "So where's this so called 'cat from hell'?"

As if right on que, none other than Sol poked his head out from the couch, looking about. Feferi squealed. Eridan frowned. "No, Fef, he's been in an dreadful mood today, I don't want you to get hurt-"

"Oh, hush, Mr. I-Called-My-Best-Frond-To-Kill-A-Spider-At-Three-I n-The-Morning, I can handle this little guy."

"I thought we both agreed not to talk about that." Eridan pouted, overlooking the marine life biologist's fish pun. He allowed the woman approach the cat, who had completely emerged from underneath the couch's dark recesses.

You are grumpily leaving the comfort of underneath the bed/claw sharpener. It is needless to say, you really want to fuck some shit up and vent out some of this anger. It is not surprising that you hiss at the hand of a stranger that got a little too close to your liking. "It's okay, Sollie-pie, I'm a friend..." Your eyes narrow suspiciously at the cooing human, their hand still approaching you. You plan on sinking your teeth into that soft hand, but the closer it gets, you pick up the scent of fish. Oh, good lord, that smells amazing, you don't even know why, you just want to love that hand. Well, that's interesting. You involuntarily purr, rubbing your head against the hand. You hear a squeal of adornment from the human as you lick her fingers, you also sense confusion and jealousy from your owner.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-" A giggle. "Eri, even that's too many stutters on the 'w' for you!" "How-w are you pettin that thing an' not gettin' torn to shreds!" Eridan was fuming. Yes, it was a little irrational, but that bastard of a cat bit and scratched up the blonde's good drawing hand to the point he had to bandage it. "He probably smells what I dissected at work."

"Fef, I am amazed at how you already have your dream job. You make me feel like a lazy bum."

"Who's a good kitty witty? Huh?" Eridan bit his lip, the lack of acknowledgement irritated him, and the fact she had the devil cat on his back purring as she rubbed his belly just plain pissed the artist off.

The whole damn time Feferi was there, Sol was purring at her side. When Fef sat, Sol laid in her lap. If the brunette stood and walked, Sol was following behind eagerly. "What'cha pouting for, grumpy gills?"

"He likes you better."

"Oh, pleaaaase," Feferi, quite used to the dramatic Eridan rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you and him have some good points, how did you choose him?"

"From w-what I can remember, he w-was the only one that noticed me and didn't w-want to murder me."

"Then I don't see why you're all frowns, I mean, he likes you."

"He _loves_ you."

"There's no winning with you, is there?" Feferi snorted, one eyebrow quirked in amusement. Eridan smiled back. "No, I 'spose not." The two laughed together.

"So, guess what I bought!" She chimed, digging a hand in her purse, before Eridan could open his mouth, a copy of "Finding Nemo" was pulled out. Inside, Eridan screamed with delight, but keeping his composure, He quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Do I look un-serious to you?" She said, scrunching her face together and looking absolutely adorable.

"Yes."

"Alrighty, smart-mouth, go put the movie in!"

"Yeah, yeah."

An hour and a half later, Eridan was fighting the urge to pass out. "Welp! Time for me to go!"

Eridan looked up. "Are you sure? You're alw-ways welcom to stay." She smiled at that, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Eri, you are so sweet! But I have work first thing in the morning, but I'll dolphinitely come back soon!"

"Oh, cod, please don't break out the fish puns..."

"Heehee, sorry!"

He walked her to the door and earned a peck on the cheek, which he thoughtfully rubbed as he watched her leave. When she was out of sight, he closed the door with a heavy sigh. Watching that movie reminded him he hadn't fed the fish today. Sleepily, He opened the lid and poured a few fish flakes into the tank, then headed for his bed.

You tilt your head, the girl no longer there to distract you from your cat duties. You watch the man use his paws to open one of the walls of the invisibox; the one on top. He left the lid open after retreating to his bed, and once you hear him plop on the bed with a sigh, you jump on his art desk, careful not to knock anything over. You are Sol and you are about to catch some dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

Eridan stared blearily at the blurry wall in front of him. Where did he put those damned glasses? He slammed his arm on the nightstand and blindly groped for his thick black spectacles, to no avail. The Aquarius groaned, turning over to look at his alarm clock. No. Oh god, that had to have just been his shitty eyesight playing tricks on him. Incredulous, Eridan squinted at the numbers on the clock. According to Mr. Asshole alarm clock it was 10 minutes before class started. "_Ohhhh shit!"_ he gasped out, sudden energy surging through him. He flopped himself out of bed, practically blind, Eridan rushed to his bathroom. Hair. He could just wear his usual Purple Aquarius shirt and striped pants. Disappointed with his disheveled appearance, but not enough time to fix it, Eridan rushed out of the hallway, to his right was the couch, but he had no interest in staring that way since he remembered he set his glasses on the kitchen counter. He chimed out a hasty "Bye Sol!" as he rushed out the door, hoping he would make it in time.

"SOLLUX. CAPTOR. AMPORA!" The hipster bellowed, on the verge of tears as he looked in dismay at his beautiful salt water aquarium that was now in shambles. He had no idea where the full name came from, he just needed to address the cat in a chastising way. Plants floated to the top of the tank, as well as a few fish remains. The little culprit sat on the art desk, not a streak of regret in his lazy gaze directed at the blonde.

Unable to think of a proper reaction , Eridan decided to sit on his couch, hands running through his messy hair before throwing his right arm over the side. The couch material was rather rough. Almost as if it had been... Shredded. A frustrated groan escaped the Ampora once again. "What am I going to do with you?" He choked out. A little mewl as a reply came from Sol. His mismatched eyes seemed to glow with confusion, his head tilted a bit to the left, as if trying to compute why the blonde was so upset. Eridan just glared at the cat. "God damn it, Sol. I leave you alone for a few-w hours an' you go an' destroy my whole house. Seeming to have lost interest, Sol just licked one of his paws, ears laid back as if Eridan's voice brought him great irritance.

"Do you ewen care, you spoiled ass cat?!" He knew he shouldn't be yelling, but this was all coming out of his wallet. Water damage on carpet: too much money. Art tool replacements: too much money. Couch re-upholstering: Too much damn money. He didn't even know if he wanted to invest anymore money on his now ruined aquarium. And what could he do about the cause of all this distress? Absolute jack shit. Eridan wasn't going to hurt the thing, but a good yelling might let him know this was the last straw. "All you hawe done this w-week is claw-w up my good sofa, Break my faworite dishes, risk my chance of follow-wing my dream, and eating my pet fish!" By now, Eridan was in tears. "Don't you feel ewen a little bit sorry?!" The cat had looked away from him by now. Licking his lips. No doubt pissed off by the man's screeching.

You lie on the desk, listening to the human's screeching. You have no idea why the guy's fussing, honestly, you saved some fish for the ungrateful assmunch. But the further you listen to his upset babble, it reminds you of when your old owner would yell. The same tone of anger was there, and you turn your head, not wanting to show your fear. You are sure that any minute something would go flying your way, but as time went by, and all that was surrounding you was silence, you were perplexed.

Without further vocalizations, the man got up from your sofa that you marked -in more ways than one- and walked for the door he brought you through many suns ago. The door slammed shut, making you jump from the unsettling, loud noise. It is not very often that you feel regret, but as you idly bat at a fish head, you feel empty. You feel wrong. Unable to pinpoint why you feel such only upsets you further, and you angrily slap at the fish head, sending it rocketing across the room. You aren't sure where your human went, but suddenly you wonder if he will return with a long leather belt. You wonder if he will take glass bottles and chuck them at you. Or chase you away with a broom. With these thoughts in mind, you make a dash for the cat carrier, still in Eridan's room, still open. You crawl in, feeling just a little more secure inside it.

It wasn't until much later that your owner returned. He came back with a red and blue loop, a shiny metal oval hanging from where the two color met. "Custom made for my little trouble maker." You hear him coo. You are unsure if you want to emerge from your mini-den and greet the happy man. He was angry at you earlier was he not? He reaches a hand for you, and you back yourself into the back wall of your den, meowing rather pathetically. "Awww, don't be scared, daddy's not mad anymore, You know that carpet? Not important? My sofa? I needed a new one to match my walls. Don't worry, okay Sol?" He croons, succeeding in calming you. Finally, you decide to leave the cat carrier, timidly. "There you are, my big boy Sol." You hear him say your name and you can't help but purr at him, the way he says it is just the most comforting thing. His lips curl up, pleased by your purr.

The fabric loop around your neck is not tight, neither is it loose enough for you to slip out of. Its pretty uncomfortable, and you constantly itch at it with you back leg. Before you could do anything else. He scoops you up, and reluctantly, you let him. You kind of owe it to him you guess.

Eridan was somewhat surprised that Sol let him pick him up, but he made his way towards the kitchen. After he had some time to cool down, Eridan came to conclusion as to why Sollux was such a hassle. He was just being a cat. Though he was still not pleased with what that entailed, Sol had his good points, too. The pet clerk concluded the kitty was just bored and if he was let outside more, there'd be less mess. Following this advice, Eridan purchased a custom-made color and tags (Vet tags from the shelter's "care package" of information). On his tag read "_Sollux Captor Ampora"_ as the name seemed to have stuck to Eridan. Starting tomorrow, Sol was an outdoor cat.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note:Yeah okay fuck this the cat dialogue isn't really them talking like humans, but I imagine them being like the cats from the Warriors series, if you haven't read that, just think of Garfield, they talk, but to humans its just meows so yeah. Probably gonna make people hate this but whatever.

You sniff the new air around you through the hole in the human's den that he opened up for you. The air is crisp and cold, you much prefer the indoors, so you turn around to head back to the couch, but the human's foot stops you. "No, no, Sol, outside, boy." He nudges you outside, and now you're freaked out as fuck, once again you are put in uncharted territories and left to fend for yourself. Before you can run back inside, the door shuts quickly. Now you're pissed and scared. You decide to meow for a few minutes as a warning, but nobody opens the door again for you, so you claw up the door a fair amount before heading out to reluctantly explore. You trot down the concrete stairs, looking pissed as ever when you hear an annoying squeal. "AWWW A KITTY!" a little human kit screeched, making you bunch up and hiss at her, but she still lumbers towards you, and unfortunately, you waited too long to try and turn and run. She grabs you, and to be honest, you weren't in the mood for big cuddles, especially from this oaf. You growl at her, only earning a giggle in delight. Was this kid stupid or something? You were doing it a favor by scratching her. She drops you and wails "BAD KITTY." With a final hiss, you make your escape, not really bothering to pay attention as to where you were headed.  
You bound through a small amount of shrubbery, finally deciding to stop and lick the pungent smell of that girl off of your black coat. "KITTY WAIT!" you hear the thing cry out, you peek from the bushes and see her already chasing after another cat, saying he was fat was an understatement, which had its ears bent down on its head, a grey Scottish fold. It hissed at her, even pawed at her menacingly, but when she scooped him up, he only looked extremely agitated. He reluctantly let her pet him while she chanted "Kitty, Kitty, Kitty-Kitty-Kiiiitty!" His eyes were an interesting red, and finally he was released when the girl's mother called for her to put the poor thing down. It glared at the girl reproachfully before running off into the same shrubbery you are hiding in. You freeze, unsure if the cat is unfriendly. He stops in front of you, eyes wide and startled. You look away, as not to further agitate him, and he seems to relax at your passive behavior. "She's a thick one, that one is." He growled, sparking up a conversation with you.  
"Yeah, you didn't seem to be too bothered by her petting." You reply, continuing to bathe yourself. "It's just a kitten, a big, hairless, stupid kitten." He says somewhat defensively. "Its mother was there, too, so if I had tried anything I would have gotten eaten alive, I mean look at the size of these fucking cats." you scoff. "They're called humans, fleabrain."  
"Says who?"  
"Says me." you say, amused. You felt like you had known this cat all your life. Like a fellow kit of the same litter.  
"What would you know?" he hisses, but by seeing his reaction to when push comes to shove, you can tell his hisses and growls are just bluffs.  
"I have my sources." You say pridefully, a pang of nostalgia hits you as you remember Aradia saying those exact words.  
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"  
"It means fuck you. That's what." You hiss in reply.  
He backs down for a moment, then sniffs you. "I've never smelled your scent before, are you new?"  
"Yeah, a human took me in, but then he just kind of kicked me out, guess he got rid of me."  
"No, stupid! Urgh, and you were just teasing me for not knowing shit." His ear twitches in irritance as he continues to explain to you.  
"You see that thing around your neck?"  
"..Yes?"  
"That's called a collar, smart one."  
"And...?"  
"It's for tracking you if you get lost, you're supposed to play outside and then go back home when its dark."  
"Is that what you do?"  
"Yeah."  
You yawn. "I don't mind coming here everyday and resting." You stretch yourself out before showing your belly comfortably to the other, a sign of trust. He doesn't do the same, but he approaches you and helps bathe you. You take this as his own gesture of friendship. He shows you around a bit, his name the humans gave him was Karkat, and you now know why he is so familiar. "I remember seeing you at the shelter." You say, he just looks away dismissively. "I remember you waking me up almost every sunrise with your damn hissing."  
"...Sorry about that."  
You meet some other cats at a park across the street, two of them didn't have collars, they were born strays. Vriska and Tavros were the strays, kits of the same litter, Vriska was often having to look after Tavros, because he had a broken foot, bandaged by a pitying passerby. Kanaya was a bit snooty, but charming, nonetheless. "Oh crap, its sundown! I gotta head home, guys, come on, Sollux!" Karkat meowed, and you were about to run after him until you looked to your right and saw a familiar face. Your...Owner? He was sitting on a bench, talking on the phone, your approached him curiously, purring happily, you even jumped straight into his lap, startling him. "The fuck?" He said, startled by you. You look up and realize it wasn't him. He had similar features, but it was not him. He looks angry for a moment before glancing down at your collar. "Hey there... Sol, wvhat's shakin' champ?" He reaches his hand to pet you and you bite him, pissed that he's not who you thought it was. He yelps in pain before growling, your stomach drops. You are in some deep shit. You try to jump down and away, but his hands snatch you up and you meow in pain and fear. You see Karkat running up towards you two, claws and teeth bared. The guy just kicks him out of the way. You try scratching at his hard skin, but to no avail as he examines the medallion on your collar. "Wvell, wvell, wvell... Didn't think Eridan had the balls to go an' get a cat behind dad's back." You have no idea what he's saying, but you yowl in fear, as his tone is very dark and foreboding. You fight tooth and nail all the way to his car, he shoves you in a box and you continue to meow and cry. You are Sol and you are being catnapped.

Eridan paced back and forth, it was nine at night and Sol was nowhere to be found. He checked the parking lot and even asked all the neighbors on his floor and downstairs. He couldn't have gone too far... right? Oh this was a disaster, day one of letting him go out and he was MIA. What if someone took him? Or he got hit by a car? Oh no, nononononononononono. "Sol? Sol?" Eridan called out, surely the cat knew his name and would be trotting up to him any moment. He didn't know what he would do if he lost this cat. He was special- it was his first cat, his first real friend besides Feferi. The thought of losing Sol was enough to make the man cry. Finally, after having a panic attack and a half, Eridan pulled out his phone and dialed Feferi's number.  
"Hello?"  
"Fef, oh Fef! It's horrible!" He sobbed out, not caring about the weird looks he was receiving from a couple walking on the other side of the road.  
"What's the matter Eridan?" Feferi asked, her tone clearly worried.  
"I-I lost him, I lost m-my Sol, I let him o-out today and he h-h-hasn't come back! W-what is somthin' happened to him?" He continued to wail.  
"Calm down, Eridan, good cod-"  
"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR FISH PUNS, FEF"  
"Sorry... Everyfin's gonna be fine, okay? I'll put up some posters tomorrow, remember those pictures I took of him? I'll use those, now what do you want me to write on the flyer so I can type it up first thing in the morning."

"W-write his name an' his description."

"How do you want me to describe him?"

"HE'S A DAMN ADORABLE CAT WITH BLACK FUR AND THE MOST LOVING NON JUDGEMENTAL BLUE AND BROW-WN EYES"

"Anyfin else?" Feferi sighed, used to Eridan's hysterics.

"W-write whoever gets him will receiwe a rew-ward."

"Mkay, just get some sleep, Eridan, he'll turn up."

"Thanks, Fef. I sure hope so."

Eridan, against his better judgement, went back to his house, eyes puffy from crying, he went into his bedroom and plopped onto the bed, sobbing. "Sol... oh Sol, w-where did you go?" He fell asleep an hour after, crying himself to sleep, he hoped wherever Sol was, he was safe and being fed by some old lady until he burst. His hopes were in vain.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Sorry for the irregular updates, I am constantly hopping from neighbor to neighbor's house to steal their wifi. Thank you for everyone's continued support, I very much appreciate it!

Warning: Animal Abuse, which I do not condone in. Violence towards an animal smaller than a person that is unable to comprehend human language and understand what it did wrong -if anything- is a serious crime both legally speaking as well as morally (Wow I kind of feel like Kankri for writing that). Now that everyone knows I don't tolerate animal abuse in real life, I don't want to see a single negative comment/PM pertaining to the animal abuse in this chapter. Thank you, again, enjoy.

Chapter 6

The house you have been thrown into reeks of dog. It keeps your hairs on end as you slash mercilessly at the bloody forearm of the man who looked like your owner, who only squeezes you tighter in retaliation. You yowl, hiss, and spit at him, trying to hide your fear with ferocity. You miss Karkat already, you especially miss your owner. You hate this- this- this IMPOSTOR. "Vwiscious little shit." He growls at you, your teeth sunk deep into his skin, the taste of his blood tainting your taste buds. You feel his pain, which he very much deserves. You continue to bite him until he flings you off of him. You hit the wood floor, your claws clacking onto it with a scurrying type of pattern as you scoot off and away from your kidnapper. He kicks you against the wall before muttering something and sauntering off. You insides ache with such intensity, and now you are no longer in a house owned by a man who looked like your owner, you are back in a shack of a shelter where the smell of beer hits your nostrils, where you rub against a leg after being called by your human alpha before he kicks you so harsh that pain shoots through you just as it is now. Your feelings are mixed fear, pain and anguish. You are terrified of this new "Alpha" and the dog that you still manage to smell despite the amount of blood you have on your snout. There is no place to hide here. No cat carrier, no space under the couch, no space under the bed. The house is just as bare as your old Alpha's. You are stressed to the max at the fact there is no desk with a canvas to scratch up. Just a legless couch in front of a flickering box.

You press yourself in the corner, shaking from the shock of the kick. You are too scared to let your guard down to clean yourself in case you have to run for any reason. That was when _it_ came towards you. It was mangy, its fur long and shaggy, slobbering happily with a tail whipping so fast it might fall off. He came straight towards you, and you hiss at it, but that's as far as you would go, fearing any further attacks would only result in fierce retaliation. He sniffs ever closer to you, panting dumbly. You bend your ears back in reproach as he licks you right on the face. You lick your nose rather angrily. "Get lost, dumb dog." You growl. "Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! I'm Mituna! How are you? Who are you? You are a kitty cat, I know because I can smell you! You smell like kitty cat! Hi!" He says back to you, licking you all over. "Get off!" You hiss, reluctantly letting him lick you and pant out a very energetic greeting. "You smell like blood. Are you hurt kitty? Are you okay? I will lick you. Licking will heal you. Licking makes everything better." God, does this dumb dog ever shut up?

"Mituna! Leavwe that thing alone. C'mere, boy." You hear the human call from the couch, the all-too-familiar sound of a beer can being opened. "Bye-bye!" He gives you one last farewell lick before bounding towards the couch. He jumps onto the couch and licks affectionately at the man, who laughs and tries to push the large dog off. "Alright, that's enough, that's enough, boy!" You sneeze and shake your head vigorously to get the slobber off your ears. Now that you are sure the other's are situated, you begin to bathe yourself. Uck why did dogs smell so bad? You almost preferred the stench of human blood on you than that dreaded smell.

It wasn't until much later that the man got up, stretched, flicked off the flickering box, then headed down a hall on the left of the box. "Mituna, c'mere, boy." He called, but the dog stayed lying on the couch, clearly planning on staying put. You are curious as to why the dog defied its master, weren't all dogs brain dead human slaves? "Alright, fine, but I don't wvanna hear any fighting with you and that cat, or it'll be outside for you." The dog tilted his head, trying to comprehend. It at least sensed the human was okay with it staying on the couch, because he laid his head back down. You are curled up on the cold floor, shivering, listening to the man yawn and close the door to his bedroom. You are wary when you hear the dog jump down from the couch and his claws click on the floor towards you. When you feel his teeth on the scruff of your neck, you were almost sure he was going to eat you. But you still had your kitten skin, which he used to carry you to the couch like one of his chew toys. "Mituna, let me go right now." you growl, he just sets you on the couch and jumps up after you. You let him curl up against you, he was warm, that's the only reason why. Your dreams are filled with images of your owner, the echoing of something you decided to call him from now on. In your dreams you heard the voice of the nice lady that smelled like fish repeat countless times "Eridan".

~o~

Eridan swished his brush erratically against his canvas. Regardless of a missing cat, he had a project due tomorrow, and he had his inspiration. He was doing this more so to put his mind at ease than just painting for school. Painting helped Eridan when he was most stressed. He used to just paint after seeing dad or warding off Cronus' on comings, but progressively he found whenever anything stressed him out, painting was a way to release the tension. After hours and hours of slaving away, Eridan stepped back, tears rolling down his cheeks. He had painted a cat resembling sol, flying through clouds, a serene look on his face as his aura glowed blue and red to match the exaggerated eyes. His phone vibrated in his pocket, which he eagerly shot his hand down to, answering it with an elated "Hello?"

"Hey kiddo, didn't think you'd be much of a cat person wvhat wvith dad's allergies an' all." Said a smug voice that made Eridan's stomach drop. "W-what the flying fuck did you do to my cat you low-wly piece of shit?" Eridan growled, ignoring the rising fear that Dad might know about the cat., which not only did he get despite his Dad's allergy, but lied to him about the last time he came over.

"Nothing, jeez, you should be askin' what _it_ did to _me."_

"W-what did he scratch you up a bit? _You poor thing._" Eridan hissed into the phone.

"Watch it, chief, that tone is very dangerous of you to be using when I'm tryin' to be the nice guy here."

"Bring my cat over this instant before I driwe ower there myself an' fuckin' kick your happy ass."

"Oh can it, I know you're all talk. Nowv, about my rewvard-"

"Who the fuck said I'd give you a rew-ward?"

"Just the flyers your pretty fishy girlfriend was passing out today." He chuckled, making Eridan clench his teeth in anger. That fucker had his cat, was asking for a reward, and threatened Eridan's chance to show that at least one of the kids wouldn't be failures.

"She really cares about you, you know? She recognized me immediately an' was just goin' on and on about you lookin' for that bag of fur you call a pet. I ain't usually so harsh, but gettin' scratched up by that cat really pissed me o-"

"Shut the fuck up. Just tell me w-what you w-want so I can get my damn cat and be on my merry way."

"Oh nothin' much. Maybe a little somefin for me... A little cash for some beer, a couple hours of just you an' me."

"You're a sick fuck, you know-w that?"

"Wvhat, we're not evwen brothers!"

"Half brothers, still bound by blood."

"You insinuatin' you'd be wvith me if wve wveren't?"

"Hell no, You'd be tw-wice as repulsiwe and I'd have nothing to stop me from gettin' a restrainin' order from your creepy ass."

Another chuckle from Cronus. "Your tongue is sharp, but I wvonder if Dad would approvwe of you harboring a kitty cat."

"Cro, w-wait- I. I'm sorry, just don't tell Daddy about Sol, _please. _I'll ewen buy you a month's w-worth of beer."

"Now you're talkin'. Be over here in an hour with the stuff an' you can have your damn cat. Also, you're paying for the pillowv he pissed on."

"...And you w-won't tell Dad?"

"Not a wvord will be uttered from this mouth."

Already stressed to the max, Eridan spat a brief goodbye before hanging up the phone and rushing to the store with his allowance money. So much for those shoes he wanted to fit the newest trend this month... But it was for Sol. Goodness knows what he was doing to ward off that mangy dog of Cronus'.

~o~

You look at the wall, the only thing you can really think of doing while Mituna slobbers all over your fur. You had not dared to attack the human today, even letting him pet you, which he didn't seem too interested in save for the fact it showed he was the alpha. You were so hungry you even resorted to eating some of the foul pellets of dog food Mituna left for you. You missed Eridan. You wanted to see him, no matter how he was feeling. Would he be mad that you didn't come home? Not that it mattered. You wouldn't care if he was mad, you would just be so happy to see him. Happy to smell his scent, happy to claw his couch, happy to use his litter box. It only added the amount of stress and uncertainty. How long would you be stuck here?

It wasn't until late in the evening, you lay with your belly exposed to a hand you wanted to bite, but too frozen with fear to try it. His hand was heavy, rough on your belly. You growled only once, and a hand smacking your head shut you up. You licked your nose, a habit of yours when stressed or irritated, trying to imagine that heavy, disgusting hand was really your owner's soft, small hand. You heard a knock on the door, which made the human holding you captive get up to open it. You contemplated running, but then you heard him. Eridan. "W-where the hell is my damn cat? Take your god damn beer an' let me in!" You recognized that growl anywhere. You meow, hoping he will recognize your own voice. "Sol?" He calls out, and you leap from the couch and scamper towards his voice.

He lifts you up and all you can think of doing is purring and rubbing against his cheek before sneaking a fond lick- you must have been near that dumb dog too long- on his face.

~o~

"So, you comin' in or...?"

"Piss off." Eridan replied, turning on his heel and strutting rather proudly away from the home, nose turned in the air, unaware of Cronus' eyes looking at him. "Hate to see you go, love to watch you leave." He laughed out, only being further amused by the flipping off he received from the now-blushing Ampora. When Cronus could no longer see Eridan, he shook his head and closed his door, pulling out his cell phone and dialing a number. The other person answered immediately "What is it nowv?"

"Hey, Daddy-O, thought I'd drop you a call an' let you knowv somefin I found out about your little angel, Eridan."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Eridan had not let you outside since a few days ago when you encountered the bitter impostor and its mangy dog. You've been begging and meowing, scratching at the door and trying to dart out whenever he goes out to hunt or whatever humans do. But regardless of your determination, he kept you cooped up inside and away from Karkat and company. Eridan left you this morning after a nice night of cuddling and comfort -humans apparently leak from their face when they're overjoyed or super sad?-, so you just simply stare out the window down at the road below. The box of fish is long gone, leaving you extra free space on the desk. This allows you to relax and be near your owner when he paints and draws. You are feeling rather stuffed from the large amount of kitty treats and a tad lethargic after dashing back and forth on your catnip high. You suppose a little cat nap wouldn't hurt.

Eventually, Eridan returns around sundown, bag of sushi in hand from a day of hunting. You want to scoff and show him how to get a real meal, but you can't. "Hey Sol." You hear him call out, and you wait until he is in your field of vision before giving him a yawn of greeting. "Going to be a rough night, buddy." He sighs out. "Normally I don't w-waste my money on such low-wly _commoner_ food, but for tonight, it w-will have to do. Honestly, I w-wish my teachers didn't have to run me positively ragged!" You blink at him slowly, lazily gazing at him as he takes a seat in front of his canvas, occasionally peering over at you, pausing his countless strokes with the paintbrush, before turning back to his work and continuing. You love being with him, not a single fiber of your being tells you otherwise. You have been having less mood swings, if barely any. In fact, they have been reduced to small bursts of irritation and light warning bites. You wonder if it is a growing fondness for Eridan or some other reason, but you can't help but purr and rub against him. This does not limit your levels of mischieviety, destructiveness or energetic tendencies. You have broken two dishes, discovered the magic white roll of ribbons in the human litter box room, and made a reasonably sized pile of dead mice.

The moon is out when Eridan sets down the paintbrush with another sigh, full of resignation. He darts his blue eyes at you. "We're having company tonight." he says after checking his mini flashing box, petting your head softly. You used to hate hands near your face, but you feel pretty okay with him doing it. Later, still, a knock on the door makes you perk up, your muscles tensing in preparation to bolt for the outdoors. Eridan must have read your mind, because he scoops you up before calling out "Come in!" You give a warning growl, but he just rolls his eyes, another peculiar thing humans do to express emotion. You stop your growling, though, when you spot a familiar face. It's the girl that always smells like fish. She flashes you a smile, and immediately, you relax yourself, a strange effect her aura gives you.

~o~

"Hey, Fef." Eridan huffed out, setting down the cat, who eagerly strode over to Feferi. She simply giggled and picked him up. "So, you said you needed help, Eridan?" She asked, stroking Sol gently. "Yeah, I'we newer giwen anythin' a bath before... other than myself, that is..." Another bubbly giggle, making the other blush. "It's fine, Eridan! There's a first time for everyfin! But most importantly, where'd you find the little rascal?" She chuckled, massaging the purring Sol's front paw.

"Cronus." Eridan spat hatefully. "Used up all my fuckin' spare money for a trade. He got beer, I got Sol."

"...Did... did he do, er, anything...?" Feferi hesitantly inquired.

"No, hell no, I w-wouldn't let him."

"Good, because if he ever touched you, I would have but on my big girl gloves and do some serious fist talks!" She puffed out her cheeks, flexing her free arm's muscles to show off.

"Yeah, you and me both, Fef. You and me both..."

"Alrighty, Bath time for mister stinky boy!" Feferi cooed, looking straight into Sol's dichromatic orbs. She kissed his forehead, which made him shake it and lick his nose, a normal reaction to anything that irritated or confused him, as Eridan noticed.

Preparing the bath wasn't too bad, Eridan made sure the water was warm, but not too hot, and even put a few cat toys in the bath to keep Sol comfortable, which was in vain. When Sol was picked up, his head whipped around to Eridan, who was placing him just over the water. The cat's eyes grew in fear, begging Eridan not to put him in the water, his limbs flailing anxiously. Eridan looked down at him "D-don't look at me like that!" He stammered, small tears forming in his eyes when Sol began to mewl like he was dying. "Fef, you do it!"

Feferi rolled her eyes. "Step aside, I can't stand watching your dramatic performance, anenomemore!"

"Again w-with the fish puns."

"You know you like them!" She grinned.

"It _is_ endearing to you."

She took sol in her hands, who was still writhing in an attempt to abscond the fuck out of there. She simply giggled before cooing to the cat sweet nothings. This made him relax a little bit, but he still meowed at the discomfort of the water, which echoed off the walls of the tiled bathroom. But still, Sol didn't fight too much what with Feferi scrubbing him down. Eridan scooted in closer, joining in the fun, earning a few bites, but reluctant obedience from the kitty nonetheless. As soon as it began, it was time to get the cat out, his fur sopping wet and his eyes narrowed. He was not amused in the slightest. It took a lot of time to finally dry him off, though, as he insisted on squirming away and licking himself dry. Even Feferi couldn't get him to sit still.

Eridan smiled at Feferi as they sat on the couch, intently watching Sol lick himself furiously. "Are you stayin' the night, Fef?"

"Yeah, It's really late and I don't want to be driving home on a friday night, to be honest." She answered, comfortably lying her head down on Eridan's shoulder, a hum of approval. "I could stay like this all night!" She chimed, letting Eridan shift his weight a bit before laying her head on his chest. She noticed him blush a bit, but thought nothing of it as she closed her eyes. "I do hope you weren't planning on sleeping in your bed tonight, Eri, because you make the perfect pillow!"

He just laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I'll just stay in here tonight because Sol's goin' to hog the mattress anyhow-w."

"Less talking, more sleeping!"

"You were the one yappin' first." He whined.

"Shhh!" She put a finger to her lips, giggling at herself.

The warmth of the two friends helped both of them fall into the bliss of sleep. It was not until the two had dozed off that Sol decided to perch himself on the armrest nearest to Eridan's head, closing his own eyes to rest.

Eridan woke up to the smell of pancakes. He rubbed his face, confused for a moment as to why he was smelling food firt thing in the mor-

Fef.

He smiled immediately, stretching himself and groaning rather loudly. "Morning sunshine!" He heard her call from the kitchen, and eagerly, he hopped up, rushing to get a plate of Feferi's famous hotcakes. They sat together at the bar, eating and savoring, and surrendering some milk to to the feline friend amongst them. Feferi was free that day and decided she wanted to spend it with Eridan, which made him more than happy. They planned on going to see "Finding Dory" that was just released, and not impressed with his attire, he stepped into his room to change clothes (and feed that damn cat who was sitting expectantly near his bowl). He left his room, glasses on, gold sweater on and purple shorts.

"Showing off being _shingle_?" Feferi chuckled, covering her mouth to hide her smile as she looked at the other.

_"W-Whale_ I have to dress to impress, how else am I supposed to find someone?" Eridan said a bit defensively. "Relax, Eri, you look good." She assured him, antsy to go see the movie she had been waiting for for years. "Come on, glubber-boy! We've got a movie to catch in our net of fun stuff to do!"

"Alright, alright!" Eridan chortled at the girl's excitement, though underneath his laughing, he, too, was rather excited.

~o~

You are Sol, and feeling rather lonely. You wonder where Eridan went off to now with that girl, and why he left you home. You stare out the window, spotting Karkat down below, making you paw at the glass, as if trying that would lead to you floating through the glass and down below to the other feline. He glances up your way, pupils waning as you two stare at each other. He looks away first, and trots off, a silent gesture of relief. You walk away from the window as well, no longer giving a shit. You tried to play with your toys, but it was always more fun when Eridan was dragging them around. You lounge on the couch, as usual, pretty pleased with that too.

The door opens and your ears prick up with excitement. Any moment, Eridan would be walking through that door with that girl, and he would pet you lovingly. But as you observe the air and the sound of wheezing, you feel uneasy. Your fears are confirmed when you see the intruder walk into view. It wasn't Eridan.

~o~

Eridan walked up the steps, letting Feferi continue her babbling on and on about the movie, just happy to see her so elated. He put his key into the door of his apartment, frowning when he noticed it was unlocked. "Odd..." He mumbled. "What is it, Eridan?"

"Nothing, just stay here for a moment." He said, pushing her back gently. She complied, though a bit worried. Eridan slowly opened his door, looking about as he walked towards the living room. Nothing seemed damaged...

That was when he spotted him. Business suit, arms crossed, lips curled into an eternal frown. "W-what are you doin' in my apartment, Dad?"

"This is my apartment. I'm paying for it."

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

_"_W-well...uh... w-what do you need?"

"I need you to pack your stuff and kiss your art school goodbye. But first, let's have a talk."

Eridan gulped, looking back at the doorway he had come through, half a mind to just outright run for it. Feferi shot him a concerned look and he mouthed for her to leave. With much reluctance, she closed the door and left Eridan to deal with his father. Yeah, this was definitely going to suck.


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, bet you guys never thought you'd see me update _this_ again**

Chapter 8

"Sit down, Eridan, take a rest on the absolutely ruined couch." The eldest Ampora said icily, voice scratch-y and eyes red from irritation. The younger of the two complied, all his carefree thoughts, all his happiness had been simultaneously engulfed by the dark, dementor-like aura of Cronus Ampora I, while it seemed Cronus Ampora II was no where in sight. That was one good thing. "Not only did you disobey me. _But you lied to me._ I am a man of patience, but the quickest way to make me lose my temper is to lie to me. You are my son. _My son._ My blood, my family, and you shame me like this? I am disappointed in you. I have tried my very best to pay for this silly little art phase you're going through-"

"It's not silly-"

"Don't interrupt me, you ungrateful brat!"

Eridan scowled at his father's puffy face. "**NO. **You don't interrupt _me, _father."

That took his father aback, his eyes widened and he seemed to lose any words he was about to spout out of his thin-lipped mouth. But Eridan didn't care. He had had it up to here with so many years of ass-kissing and "yes sir"s and "no sir"s, damn it, it was his turn.

"Look, you may not approv-ve of my life choices, but for christ's sake get the rod out of your arse, I w-work hard studyin' and w-workin' at school, and you know-w w-what? Yes, I did fuckin' get a cat, you know-w w-why? Because I'v-ve got a shitty dad who thinks his w-wallet is the w-way to show-w love, a shitty half brother, and only one fucking friend who can put up with all this bullshit. Yes, I got a cat, are you really going to kick me out of this apartment, cut off my funds, and ultimately ruin your only successful son's chance of proving his w-worth over that fact? Let me tell you somefin, you shitfaced bastard, I am sick of this shit, and if you do decide to be a hard ass about this, I'll make my own fucking money to afford everything!"

The older Ampora managed to snap out of his state of sheer shock, and he sneered. "Oh can you, now? Do tell me, _my dearest son_, how you can afford this apartment without me?"

"W-well, I don't need this apartment, I can find a room mate."

"And your school?"

"Loans."

"Well. You have it all figured out, don't you?" He hissed, digging his nails into the couch cushion while his lips curled back. Eridan stood his ground, feeling rather good for being able to finally stand up. "Yes. It would seem that way, wouldn't it?"

~o~o~o~

You are now Sol, and boy, you have never seen Eridan so angry, it made you uneasy, but the more you listened to the changing in pitch of his yowls, you noticed a hint of uncertainty and insecurity. You decided to crawl out from under the couch, considering Eridan was here to protect you from the other human present. You can see his expressive face, you can tell instantly this is something very bad, and something to do with you. You jump onto his side of the couch, purring lightly and sniffing at his aura, which has a salty tint, like tears. You lick at his hair, which has a strange aftertaste of chemical like substances, so you decide to just rub against him instead.

"All of this, all of the money I've spent, you're ready to just," The stranger groped his paws at the small device that turns on the flashing box, the object looking dwarfed compared to the paw grabbing it, "THROW AWAY!" he chucked it full force at the television which made a crack loud enough to make you jump and hiss in reproach of the unwanted noise. But, Eridan looked quite frightened, and you weren't ready to just bolt and leave him here with this unpredictable human in his den. You flinched every time his voice rose, but still, you stood your ground.

~o~o~o~

"THIS. AND THIS, AND ALL OF THIS!" He grabbed everything in his reach, tearing it down, sending it flying across the room, it only made Eridan tense up.

"Dad! Wait, not that!" It was a canvas, one of Eridan's recent works after observing a rather cantankerous Scottish fold outside, in the painting, he laid beside a sickle, eyes wide and feral, with a bright red cloth on the table beneath him. It went flying by, nearly hitting Eridan as it whizzed past him. The canvas made a horrible, scratchy noise as it landed and dragged across the linoleum floors while the Ampora was still wrecking everything. That was when a cup of paint brushes missed his head by inches, hitting Sol instead, who yelped, then hissed. "W-watch w-where you're throw-win' shit!" He hissed storming over to his father, who was much larger and could easily overpower him. He managed to get his father to calm down a little, at least enough to not be throwing things. "Pack your stuff up, you have three days. I hope you enjoyed your art school." He pushed past Eridan, storming through the door and shoving past a very concerned Feferi, who still was standing outside despite the Ampora's request for her to head home.

She immediately rushed in, shocked at the immense mess and catastrophe in the living room alone. On the couch, sat a very upset Eridan, and a concerned Sol. "Eridan, what happened?" She asked, resting a hand on his shoulder, and just when the contact was made, the dam broke and Eridan let out small sobs. "It's all ov-ver, Fef."

"Don't say that, you can fix th-"

"No, Fef, I can't, not all of us have our dream jobs handed to us because our parents are filthy stinkin' rich!"

She knew he didn't mean it, he was just upset. But those words still hurt the pisces. She gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaving the apartment for good. "See you later, I guess."

The aquarius did feel terrible. He was feeling so many emotions at once he didn't even know what to do. His cat was meowing, trying to get his attention. With puffy eyes, he peered up at the cat, frowning. "This is all your fault!" He yelled, watching the animal's eyes change from concerned to fearful in a flash. He wanted to stop, but he just couldn't, with so much already, there was no stopping any of this. "Get out!" He bellowed, picking it up and rushing for the door. "And don't come back, you mangy shit!"

~o~o~o~

You have no idea why he threw you out, but you have a feeling this time, he doesn't want you coming back. You meow at the door for a bit, anyways, sorry for whatever you did to make him banish you. You can smell the rain outside, and you're grateful for the canopy above you, but for once, on a rainy day, you sit and watch it fall rather than dozing off. You are Sollux Captor Ampora, and you have been kicked out of the pack.


End file.
